Life in Jim Crow America Hawoon Han and Drew Glaeser
1) Right after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was ratified. What did the 14th Amendment provide for African Americans? What does “due process” and “equal protection of the laws” mean? The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to and protected the civil liberties of our people who were previously enslaved. It also prohibited states from denying any person of their life, liberty, and property without due process of the law, or a citizen’s rights to have the same fair rules as everyone else in every court system. The states could also not deny us the authority of all being equally treated by laws, no matter black or white.
2) Unfortunately, your equal rights were challenged by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. What do you remember about the facts, decision, and impact of this case?
Homer Plessy, considered black under Louisiana law despite his light complexion, was sent to jail for riding in a “White” car when he was required to ride in “Colored” cars according to the Separate Car Act passed in 1892. To test the state laws, Plessy deliberately sat in a white section, while announcing he was black. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court; Plessy’s lawyer demanding the Separate Car Act violated the 14th amendment. The judge determined the 14th amendment focused on equality, not separation, so “separate” facilities were constitutional as long as they were equal. The “separate but equal” doctrine affected public places such as schools, theaters, and restaurants, but black facilities were still always inferior.
3) The laws developed in the South became known as Jim Crow laws. Who was this Jim Crow fellow? Did he write the laws?
Thomas Dartmouth Rice, an aspiring actor, played a highly stereotypical black character named Jim Crow onstage in the 1870s. This character became hugely popular to people across the country, and Jim Crow became a somewhat offensive name for our people, African Americans. The name became less offensive in the 1900s, and eventually was a term used to describe laws and customs that oppressed us.
^This is a poster for the play in which Thomas Dartmouth played a stereotypical African American character, Jim Crow. 4) What are some specific examples of the Jim Crow laws from southern states? How did the laws affect you? We were not allowed to comment upon the appearance of a White female when they were judging how we looked. They disdainfully insulted us and we couldn't do anything about it. Also, it wasn't fair that my children were taught at a different school. I wanted to raise my children with good education, but the education level was lower for us than the Whites. In addition, it was illegal for African Americans and whites to get married, this was called miscegenation. There were also black hospitals and white hospitals, and separated work places. Some schools didn't even allow white students to use books that were previously used by people of our race.
5) What did Jim Crow America look like in the 1900s? What are some images that can help explain the realities of the time? There were signs on almost everything including buses, water fountains, and etc. that separated us from the White people. The signs usually said, "no dogs, Negroes." or "Whites only". We would get fined or arrested if we didn't followed the signs. Separate water fountains and different bus seats were very humiliating.
6) What happened in the Scottsboro Case? How did it make you feel as an African American in the South? Nine black youths were charged with raping two white women. During a train ride, a fight broke out between a group of black and white hobos, and the whites were thrown off the train. The black youths were taken to court. Two women, fearful of being persecuted for their sexual activity aboard the train, agreed to testify that nine black youths have raped them. This made me very upset because they were charged of something that they didn't even do. Also, the white youths participated in the fight too. Lastly, I was outraged at the fact that they were sentenced to death when hhe youngest youth was 12.
7) Why should anyone care about your life during Jim Crow America? We should care because this is when skin colors defined a person's access to places of business and recreation, restrooms, amusement parks, bowling alleys, swimming pools, beaches, schools, libraries, hospitals, and even cemeteries. A single gesture, a movement, an expression, or a question could be perceived as a violation of Jim Crow boundaries. Black men and women who demonstrated too much aspiration, confidence, or success became targets of harassment, assault, arson, and murder.
Hawoon Han and Drew Glaeser
1) Right after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was ratified. What did the 14th Amendment provide for African Americans? What does “due process” and “equal protection of the laws” mean?
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to and protected the civil liberties of our people who were previously enslaved. It also prohibited states from denying any person of their life, liberty, and property without due process of the law, or a citizen’s rights to have the same fair rules as everyone else in every court system. The states could also not deny us the authority of all being equally treated by laws, no matter black or white.
2) Unfortunately, your equal rights were challenged by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. What do you remember about the facts, decision, and impact of this case?
Homer Plessy, considered black under Louisiana law despite his light complexion, was sent to jail for riding in a “White” car when he was required to ride in “Colored” cars according to the Separate Car Act passed in 1892. To test the state laws, Plessy deliberately sat in a white section, while announcing he was black. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court; Plessy’s lawyer demanding the Separate Car Act violated the 14th amendment. The judge determined the 14th amendment focused on equality, not separation, so “separate” facilities were constitutional as long as they were equal. The “separate but equal” doctrine affected public places such as schools, theaters, and restaurants, but black facilities were still always inferior.
3) The laws developed in the South became known as Jim Crow laws. Who was this Jim Crow fellow? Did he write the laws?
Thomas Dartmouth Rice, an aspiring actor, played a highly stereotypical black character named Jim Crow onstage in the 1870s. This character became hugely popular to people across the country, and Jim Crow became a somewhat offensive name for our people, African Americans. The name became less offensive in the 1900s, and eventually was a term used to describe laws and customs that oppressed us.
^This is a poster for the play in which Thomas Dartmouth played a stereotypical African American character, Jim Crow.4) What are some specific examples of the Jim Crow laws from southern states? How did the laws affect you?
We were not allowed to comment upon the appearance of a White female when they were judging how we looked. They disdainfully insulted us and we couldn't do anything about it. Also, it wasn't fair that my children were taught at a different school. I wanted to raise my children with good education, but the education level was lower for us than the Whites. In addition, it was illegal for African Americans and whites to get married, this was called miscegenation. There were also black hospitals and white hospitals, and separated work places. Some schools didn't even allow white students to use books that were previously used by people of our race.
5) What did Jim Crow America look like in the 1900s? What are some images that can help explain the realities of the time?
There were signs on almost everything including buses, water fountains, and etc. that separated us from the White people. The signs usually said, "no dogs, Negroes." or "Whites only". We would get fined or arrested if we didn't followed the signs. Separate water fountains and different bus seats were very humiliating.
6) What happened in the Scottsboro Case? How did it make you feel as an African American in the South?
Nine black youths were charged with raping two white women. During a train ride, a fight broke out between a group of black and white hobos, and the whites were thrown off the train. The black youths were taken to court. Two women, fearful of being persecuted for their sexual activity aboard the train, agreed to testify that nine black youths have raped them. This made me very upset because they were charged of something that they didn't even do. Also, the white youths participated in the fight too. Lastly, I was outraged at the fact that they were sentenced to death when hhe youngest youth was 12.
7) Why should anyone care about your life during Jim Crow America?
We should care because this is when skin colors defined a person's access to places of business and recreation, restrooms, amusement parks, bowling alleys, swimming pools, beaches, schools, libraries, hospitals, and even cemeteries. A single gesture, a movement, an expression, or a question could be perceived as a violation of Jim Crow boundaries. Black men and women who demonstrated too much aspiration, confidence, or success became targets of harassment, assault, arson, and murder.